President Joe Biden publicly acknowledges 4-year-old granddaughter for first time

July 29 (UPI) -- U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly acknowledged his 4-year-old granddaughter, Navy Joan Roberts, for the first time.

"Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward," the elder Biden said in a statement to People.com Friday.

"This is not a political issue, it's a family matter," the statement continued. "Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy."

The girl is the daughter of Biden's businessman and painter son Hunter, a recovering crack cocaine addict, and Lunden Roberts, an Arkansas woman with whom Hunter had a sexual relationship he has said he doesn't remember in 2018.

Lunden Roberts filed a paternity lawsuit against Hunter Biden in 2019, but a DNA test proved he was Navy's father.

He settled a child support case with Roberts this past June.

Hunter Biden also has four other children, including daughter Naomi, who married at the White House last fall.

He reportedly has never met Navy.

The New York Times cited an unnamed source as saying Joe Biden has told his son in recent weeks that he wants to get to know his granddaughter.

The newspaper also said the president plans to say he has seven grandchildren, not six, when he speaks of his family going forward.

Lunden Roberts posted a photo of Navy dressed in red, white and blue and holding a flag on the Fourth of July.

Roberts has said that the little girl knows who her father and grandfather are and are "very proud" of them.

Hunter Biden was in a Delaware federal court this week to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time, but the deal fell apart at the last minute amid a dispute between the legal teams over a separate gun-related charge.

He ended up pleading not guilty to the tax crimes.